LAS VEGAS—During an opening keynote for the 2025 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Global Health Conference & Exhibition, the organization's CEO, Harold Wolf, said HIMSS is bracing to support the healthcare industry, which may struggle with cash flow issues amid President Donald Trump's cuts to federal programs.
Not only does the industry await word on what direction health tech policies will take under Trump’s second tenure as president, but the industry is also waiting to see how Trump-backed cuts to Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid and healthcare research funding change financial constraints for healthcare delivery organizations.
Wolf said the industry is living in “a shaky period of uncertainty” because of the disruption to the federal government so far under Trump and the changes the industry expects to come, like slashing Medicaid. HIMSS is preparing for multiple scenarios and degrees of change that could stem from disruption in Washington, D.C.
Wolf stressed that HIMSS will lead the industry through the changes of the Trump administration. “None can stand idly by,” he said Tuesday morning on the main stage of HIMSS' annual health conference in front of an estimated 5,000 attendees.
Because the federal government pays for 50% of healthcare, Wolf said, healthcare organizations should expect to see diminished cash flow as the Trump administration and Congress work their way through funding cuts. He advised healthcare organizations to plan for contingencies based on the severity of the cuts from D.C.
At a conference filled with hospital executives and health technology vendors, Wolf said the factions can work together to lower operational costs. Health systems that have the financial resources should invest in digital health technologies to find cost-saving partners soon, he said.
“If you're going to have some money to invest this year in digital health, you want to find those tools as soon as possible ... so you can go ahead and really jump in,” he told reporters during a press briefing Tuesday morning.
Wolf said the industry is waiting to see where cuts will be made to federal funding, especially in research grants from the National Institutes of Health. Federal research funding is important because of its long-term view of healthcare that helps the industry understand changes over time, he noted.
“I think everyone is worried,” Wolf said when discussing the uncertainty of research grants. “I’m extremely worried.”
Wolf emphasized HIMSS’ commitment to health equity in his public speech to HIMSS attendees and in the press briefing with reporters.
Without invoking the Trump administration’s attack on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across government and the private sector, he emphasized that health equity is integral to the mission of HIMSS and that the organization’s work will continue. “The equity bar is high,” he said.
When asked by a reporter about HIMSS' relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO), Wolf said he’s “proud' of HIMSS' relationship with the WHO and that the organization will “double down” on its relationship, despite the U.S. pulling out of the organization on the first day of the second Trump administration.
He said the organization will specifically embrace the WHO’s European arm to bring digital health technologies to the world. He pointed to a recent collaboration with the country of Romania as part of bringing digital healthcare to less-resourced countries.